Frequently Asked Questions.

Please remember that software gets updated all the time and consiquently the CD ROM will almost always be out of date (it will be updated at each edition of the book). Keep checking back to this website for updates and tips on new ways of doing things. I've also noticed several mistakes in the book.

Q. Why do you refer to a movie called "3D_pull_loose.avi" in all of the 3d pull tutorials when no movie exists on the CD ROM?

A. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm so, so ,sorry. I made a mistake. There is a movie called "3D_pull_keys.avi" (This should have been called "3D_pull_loose.avi") on the CD ROM. This is a movie of the key positions of the action and does not have "stepped" or "linear" animation curves. There are two movies that you can download here called "pull_3D_keys(stepped).avi" and "pull_3D_loose.avi".

Q. Why, when using Maya 5, do the control handles on the feet move, but don't move the feet with them when I set keys on them?

A. The method that I advocate with setting keys at each of the key positions (with the lift for example) is to move the model into it's key position and then select everything in the Hypergraph and set a key (press "S" on the keyboard). (This seems to work fine in Maya 4). In Maya 5 rotate or move each of the bones or handles and then set a key each of these parts. Do this for all the bones you have to rotate and the control handles you need to move. Don't select everything in the Hypergraph and set a key on it.

Here are the three tutorials slightly revised for you to download: Maya_lift, Maya_pull, and Maya_push.

I've also noticed that in chapter 5 (Human walks and runs) on page 117 towards the bottom I've said that the "basic_walk" is 24 frames long so you should make your scene 25 frames long (to have a final key position at the end the same as the first). "basic_walk" is actually 23 frames long so make the scene 24 frames long. Also you can change the start frame of 3DS Max by opening the time configuration window and setting the start frame as 1 and the end frame as 24.

I've also noticed a problem in chapter 3 on the CD ROM in the file "3DSMax_lift.pdf" in the section "Setting key positions in 3DS Max". I originally wrote this while using 3DS Max 4.5. In version 5 (and 6 and 7) to set a key first left click the "Set Key" button (the button with the word "Set Key" written on it) to make the window active (it goes red). Then left click the "Set Keys" button (the button with a picture of a key on it) to set a key. If you want to set keys automatically left click the "Auto Key" button instead of the "Set Key" button.

Q. How do I make my ball invisible in the lift exersize in 3DS Max 7?

A. They've changed the way to do this in 7 compared to Max 5. Select one of your balls on screen and go to the Main Menu>Tracks>Track View Dope Sheet. In the Track View Dope Sheet window that comes up, go to the hierarchy tree to the left of this window and select (double click) the ball (it may be called "sphere 1" etc). In the menu at the top of this window select Tracks>Visability Track> Add. This will add a new track to the Dope Sheet section of the window. Select the "Add Keys" button (top left of the window) and in the new track youve just created left click on the first frame. This will create a key there. The idea is to have the ball on the ground visable from frame one until the point at which the man grabs the ball (frame 29). So make a second key on fram 29. Right click the first key and in the window that comes up give it a Value of 1 (visible). Make the "Out" button linear (left click on the "Out" button and up will come a choice of 5 buttons. Move the mouse pointer to the button with horizontal and vertical lines). Then select the key at frame 29 (either right click on it in the Dope Sheet window or in the little window left click the arrow button) and give it a value of zero (invisible). Make the "In" button linear and your ball on the ground should now be visible from frame 1 until frame 29 when it becomes invisible.You need to do the same thing for the ball attached to our mans hand, but this needs to have a value of zero (invisible) at frame 1 and a value of one (visible) at frame 29.