3ds max unlink -> save animation.

Lanstream · Aug 2014

Good day everyone!

Here is the problem:
3ds max
I have a running soldier with linked riffle to his hand. And I am happy with that animation. But in the end I need riffle to be unlinked. But when I unlink the riffle its animation disappear - riffle becomes static .

How can I save riffle animation when I unlink it?

Thanks!

.Wiki · Aug 2014

Do you linked it with a constraint? You could animate the constraint and just turn it off at the end of the animation.
What I usally do is I create 2 constraints and switch between those. So you have one constraint for the "weapon in hand" and a second constraint when the weapon is in static pose.

Mark Dygert · Aug 2014

Just linking an object doesn't animate it. It's like riding the bus, it will ride along for as long as you have it linked, until you unlink it then the object gets off the bus wherever you dumped it.

In addition to what .Wiki mentioned you could also use an animated/align script to snap the weapon to the hand and set a key. Jim Jagger has a really good script in "JJ Tools". You don't really need the script to align and key the object but it just automates the very manual and very tedious process.

If the root node of the weapon and hand don't match Position, Rotation and Scale you might want to create a dummy object that will match the weapon and then link it to the hand and align/key to that.

Lanstream · Aug 2014

Great! Thank you very much to both of you. I'll try!

StephenVyas · Aug 2014

If you're still looking for ideas::

Try using the 'Link Constraint'.
Go to the frame where you first attach the weapon to the hand.
Select the weapon, click the 'Add link' button in the 'Motion' command panel
Select your hand or whereever you'd like the weapon to attach to.

Then, when your ready to unlink the weapon from the hand. Go to that frame and click 'Link to World'

The weapon constraint will now be removed from the hand, but all the previous animation remains.

Lanstream · Aug 2014

Thank you StephenVyas, your method worked very well.

And yet another question:
Is there a possibility to link both hands to one weapon?

Thanks!

StephenVyas · Aug 2014

If you are using the Biped character rig, then yes. There is an easy way to link both hands to one weapon
Select the hand(that you'd like to attach to the weapon) on the biped. Then goto the> Motion panel> Key Info rollout

Under IK -> click the white arrow and select the object you want the hand to follow.

Then, Set either a 'Sliding key' or 'Planted key' for that hand to follow the weaponn.
When you want the hand to be free, set a "free key' for that hand.

For more info , you can read up on it here -> http://docs.autodesk.com/3DSMAX/16/ENU/3ds-Max-Help/index.html?url=files/GUID-03A3578B-1ECF-4621-84D2-240CDAB5388E.htm,topicNumber=d30e354788 (Under Key-info rollout)

3ds max unlink -> save animation.

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