Vertex animation in gmax?

DeadGeneral

Hi, I'm trying to add some frames to the end of the upper (torso and arms) model of a 3-part quake 3 player model. I've already got the whole model loaded but the problem is whenever I do vertex animation (the model has no skeleton) any frames AFTER the last frame not made by me are changed also, that is they appear as if I was performing the vertex animation on them. I'm doing the vertex animation as I would any other animation, selecting the vertices, going into animate mode, changing the frame and leaving animate mode. Is there some trick to it? Thanks.

CrazyButcher

max creates key when you animate them, however as there are no keys "after" the frame you just modified, the last keys (ie the ones you just created) are used for the time afterwards.

you would need to create keys for all vertices a frame after the frame you change, so that the vertices stay there, then do the actual change.

so lets say you know the frames where everything should be like in the reference pose. create frames for the vertices at those times (without actually moving them). then do the animation of the changes, and you should get good interpolation from/to the reference pose.

edit: normally the "reference keys" should be auto created at frame 0, likely its enough to just shift-drag them on the trackbar to copy the keys to your "reference frames"

DeadGeneral

CrazyButcher, I did what you suggested and created a keyframe for the vertices on the frame after the frame I'm modifying, but they are still moving on the frame before the frame I'm modifying. Is there anything else I need to do?

CrazyButcher

well if they move before, then create frames before as well.

max always interpolates from one frame to the next. so if you want "no movement" you must make sure keys exist that cause no interpolation (ie interpolate from/to the same state).

so lets say at frame 10 you want your modified vertices, but not for the rest of the time, then you would create keys at frame 9 and 11 with the reference pose.

DeadGeneral

That's what I've been doing, it works for everything EXCEPT vertex animation =/