Multiple Dummies, Linking, and Rotating Problems: 3ds Max

BradMyers82

I have a client who is using the unity game engine and needs me to setup a hierarchy in a certain manner for a gun in a FPS style game.
This is a simplified example, but hopefully my problem with the stretching of the blue box is clear.

I'm pretty new to the animation/rigging side of things, and I'm having a lot of problems coming up with a solution for this.

Please see the image for a explanation of my problem:


I originally thought it was an issue with scaling the dummies, but I tried reset xform in every possible way I could think of, and it still didn't help. Plus, when I unlink as in Example D. things work properly, only, I no longer have the control I need as seen in example B.

There has to be a simple solution, but Man is this frustrating!

If anyone has a solution, I would Greatly Appreciate it.

SyncViewS

Hi Brad, I'm quite sure, as you said the problem is with the Dummy scaling, as scale factor is inherited by the child, leading to the distortions. In my experience NEVER scale anything related to animation, it always leads to problems. How did you reset the XForm of the Dummy? It gets reverted to a cube when you do it, so the ones you show aren't reset. Resetting the Box has no effect, because it is not the one scaled.

If you absolutely need to create a suitable cage for your geometry, use splines and ALWAYS transform them, like scaling, moving, rotating, at sub-object level, to preserve the node matrix (made of othogonal normal vectors). Once you have the cage you like, link it.

To get a cage like a Dummy in a few steps:
1. create a Box
2. convert to Editable Poly
3. in sub-level edge, select all edges
4. in command panel, under "Edit Edges" choose "Create Shape From Selection"
5. in the dialog chose the name and set "Shape Type" to "Linear"
6. delete the Box if not needed
8. position the Editable Spline taking into account its pivot, or align it to the object to link
7. transform the Editable Spline AT VERTEX LEVEL as you please
8. link
9. you can still manipulate Editable Spline vertexes at sub-level without hurting the links / animation

The good thing is that if you create all your controls as splines, when it comes to animation you can simply apply a filter to selectable objects limiting to Splines, and geometry doesn't get in the way anymore.

BradMyers82

SyncViewS: Hey this is great advice man!
That's a really simple solution, that's a lot!

BradMyers82

This is sort of off topic, but another question I have:

Is there a good way to deal with really small obects in 3ds Max?

The objects I am using have to be a really small size, but since I am animating/skinning/rigging them it creates a lot of headaches if I try to scale them up, then scale them back down.

Small things are annoying in max because the middle mouse button zoom goes way way too fast, and clipping occures.

Any advice for this one?

EsotericAgenda

Things you could do:

(1)Select a small object and press z to zoom up close to it

(2) If your having the problem of zooming into an object and the zoom! flys past the object everytime you try to zoom into it, you can try this

Go to Preference Settings > Viewports > WheelZoom Increment: 0.09(or lower, because it will take longer to zoom in to an object when using the scrollwhell, use Alt+Z to use the other zoom where you click and move your mouse in or out, it should zoom faster)

(3) If the small objects are in the way of another object your trying to select you can freeze them, by right clicking on em and select freeze section

(4) If I had lots of small objects in a scene, I would group them all(well the ones I dont need for the moment) and hide them till I need them again

(5) For clipping, right click on the word Perspective at the top corner of your viewport, and select 'Viewport Clipping'' at the right side of your viewport move both yellow arrows to the far edges of your viewport, basically spread them both wide apart as possible

(6) You can also right click on a small object and select Isolate section, to focus on just that object

cw

syncviews nailed the rigging issue, as for small objects, max can be a pain in these cases, it might be worth checking unity's scaling tech in case it can be done on import? I think unity is free these days so you could try it.