[Maya] point constraints disconnecting from controls

shinkicker

Learning to rig and animate in Maya. I do the standard thing of create a control (using a curve) which i then snap into place over a joint. I then put a point constraint in place between the two. This then allows me to easily select the joint for movement, by selecting the control.

I am getting this annoying issue where all the controls disconnect their constraints to the joint, for no conceivable reason. I.e. I select a control, use the move tool and the curve moves, but not the joint (and in turn the skinned mesh).

Has anyone had anything like this or can think of why this might happen?

antweiler

You can easily constrain an object and keyframe animate an object the same time. This happens, when you key a constrained object, or when you constrain an object with keys.
If this happens, the constrained channels (joint.translate) turn green in the channel box.
Remove the keys on the joint, and lock the constrained channels to prohibit the unwanted setting of keys.

shinkicker

Thanks. So would this happen when:

A: Keyframe while a joint is selected.

B: keyframe while a constrained object is selected (curve in this case).

C: keyframe while both the above are selected.

I am guessing B & C?

I think my understanding of keyframe entry is wrong. I figured you could keyframe an object constrained to a joint, and that would be the correct workflow. I think i might be approaching this wrong still.

antweiler

You want to control your joints movement with the control curve, so you dont want any keys on your joint. This can happen inadvertedly and i wouldnt recommend it as a workflow. Keys override the effect of the constraint and make it useless, this is what i think happened to your joint.