Thank you so much for this tutorial. I just started using the CAT system and was not even aware this existed and I just got done doing an animation frame by frame ;_; This would have helped so much.
thanks a lot for your time and your beautiful animation . i was watching some tutorial about pose to pose in maya as im 3ds max user . in between keys where no movements they select those keys and change something from editors curve and they get some movements in between ... i hope you got what im mean . cant find like that in 3ds max editor curve . here is the tutorial and i hope to get an answer from you if you know something similar in max . thanks a lot and good luck bro . Basic Character Animation
The Curve Editor in Max works very similarly to that in Maya... I am sort of living out of a hotel for the time being so it may be awhile before I have time to truly take a look at what you are asking about, but I didn't want you to think I was ignoring you... just in the middle of moving across the country! =)
Hey, the keys need to have stepped key interpolation; meaning the keys "jump" from one to the next. You can change the default tangent type (next to set key) to stepped BEFORE animation. After the extremes, you can get your inbetweens by selecting all the keys in the curve editor and setting them to spline tangency.
Very nice tutorial... i am having trouble while making model RUN with CAT Rig. and making the model stop and do something else. can you help me with that or some tutorial you recommend?
Loving your tutorials! I'm still slowly working my way through. I was wondering one thing though pose to pose is great but what if wanted to animate forward motion? Like walking or jumping forward? Would you add an adjustment layer and pull th character forward? Sorry if this is already covered in another video, just something that came to mind :)
you can still use pose to pose for things like jumps, as you said just move the character forward, walking I'd suggest trying out the CAT Motion tools. czcams.com/video/iqvokcTu9fE/video.html
Clint DiClementi Hi thanks I will do that (just had a sneak peak and it looks pretty awesome but looks more like mocap than traditional key frame animation?), I was wondered though would you say pose to pose is the best approach for blocking out an animated scene or more geared towards setting up animation sequences for games? Is been a while since I've done any animation and ive always heard good things about the cat rig.
Wayne Pratt Pose to Pose is my favored method of animating because it gives me full control over timing out actions. Now days though it's almost all a conglomerated hodgepodge of some scripted movement, some key-frames, some blending, and some CAT Motion seems to be more along the lines of MoCap it is in fact what I'd refer to as Procedural animation. CAT Motion is completely customizable so you can get a lot of character out of a walk cycle just like you would if you set up that walk Pose to Pose. It's not a set of specifically recorded movements like mocap is.
Clint DiClementi Yes I'm excited to try using the pose to pose method with the cat rig (having only ever done simple animations with custom rigs before), I guess as a hobbyist I have the luxury/freedom of choosing which approach to take. Sounds like I have a lot to learn about industry standards before I could go pro. Your tutorials are really valuable and amongst some of the best I've seen on youtube! So thanks and keep up the good work :)
It first came from this video demonstration: czcams.com/video/5FmhP3xiHFQ/video.html Then we used it to make a CAT rig in this one: czcams.com/video/kxb3V8Pd9BA/video.html However, the rig/model doesn't really matter as the Pose to Pose animation tools are all the same for any rig.
Hi :D I am having one problem the prevents me from following along this tutorial. I solo out the bones in a model that is fully rigged, and when I select one of the bones and go to the animation tab, there is no layer manager tab. I got a free Iron Man model that is fully rigged. Is there maybe different views in this program that make the layer manager tab look different?
Hey Clint, or anyone else, I recently heard some rumors that 3dsmax eventually will be phase out ,anyone know something about that?? Just rumors or there really is such a possibility?(just like Autodesk killed XSI SoftImage)
I seriously doubt they will phase it out any time soon. The industry is still very much split down the middle between 3DS and Maya. Softimage was not as great a contender sadly. Tools in 3DS Max like Particle Flow are still such a quality toolset for special effects artists, as well as other things like Games are still widely used with both Max and Maya, and Architectural Rendering are still almost solely in 3DS Max. Newer tools like CAT are even bringing 3DS back into a better position for character animation now as well. Maya still holds the title for character animators and has a lot of fun special effects features of it's own. If anything the two will merge in the distant future into one super program... but I'm certain that is a long way off still.
Great video, and I'm sure it'll speed up the animation process once I figure out this issue. Your default Motion panel view shows the layer manager, but I've been pulling my hair out for hours looking for the damn thing! My view is completely different. Please take a look at this screengrab and tell me what I'm doing wrong. Hoping it's something small and dumb: imgur.com/0l7ZGja
it looks like you are using Biped and not CAT from what I can see in the image. It's the other rigging system in max, czcams.com/video/lwAceZeG8oQ/video.html is the similar tools with Biped.
Thanks Clint. I'm working with someone else's rig and I'm used to Maya, but I still feel a bit dumb for mistaking it for CAT. Your other video was great too, and has now convinced me to avoid Biped for life :D Thanks again for replying.
Chris Warren Not a problem, don't feel too bad especially for someone used to working in another 3D package. Biped is the older system and worked best for game characters utilizing motion capture... CAT is much more animator friendly as it was designed by actual animators. Glad you got it figured out, and I definitely recommend trying CAT next time! =)
Great tutorial. One of the best on this sort of animation I came across so far. Cheers!
Thank you so much for this tutorial. I just started using the CAT system and was not even aware this existed and I just got done doing an animation frame by frame ;_; This would have helped so much.
Thanks for these videos they have been a huge help!
Thanks alot for this. You saved me so much headache :-)
thanks a lot for your time and your beautiful animation . i was watching some tutorial about pose to pose in maya as im 3ds max user . in between keys where no movements they select those keys and change something from editors curve and they get some movements in between ... i hope you got what im mean . cant find like that in 3ds max editor curve . here is the tutorial and i hope to get an answer from you if you know something similar in max . thanks a lot and good luck bro . Basic Character Animation
The Curve Editor in Max works very similarly to that in Maya... I am sort of living out of a hotel for the time being so it may be awhile before I have time to truly take a look at what you are asking about, but I didn't want you to think I was ignoring you... just in the middle of moving across the country! =)
Hey, the keys need to have stepped key interpolation; meaning the keys "jump" from one to the next. You can change the default tangent type (next to set key) to stepped BEFORE animation. After the extremes, you can get your inbetweens by selecting all the keys in the curve editor and setting them to spline tangency.
This is so nice, thank you
Thanks a lot, very usefull video.
hey man I liked your tutorial, However I wanted to ask how can I bring in those poses into a different animation?
Very nice tutorial...
i am having trouble while making model RUN with CAT Rig. and making the model stop and do something else.
can you help me with that or some tutorial you recommend?
+Zillur Rehman are you there ?
could you do a tutorial on animation to ragdoll transition tutorial
I always reference your tutorials Clint! Do you have a donation box for people like me who really appreciate your help? :-)
Loving your tutorials! I'm still slowly working my way through. I was wondering one thing though pose to pose is great but what if wanted to animate forward motion? Like walking or jumping forward? Would you add an adjustment layer and pull th character forward?
Sorry if this is already covered in another video, just something that came to mind :)
you can still use pose to pose for things like jumps, as you said just move the character forward, walking I'd suggest trying out the CAT Motion tools. czcams.com/video/iqvokcTu9fE/video.html
Clint DiClementi
Hi thanks I will do that (just had a sneak peak and it looks pretty awesome but looks more like mocap than traditional key frame animation?), I was wondered though would you say pose to pose is the best approach for blocking out an animated scene or more geared towards setting up animation sequences for games?
Is been a while since I've done any animation and ive always heard good things about the cat rig.
Wayne Pratt
Pose to Pose is my favored method of animating because it gives me full control over timing out actions. Now days though it's almost all a conglomerated hodgepodge of some scripted movement, some key-frames, some blending, and some CAT Motion seems to be more along the lines of MoCap it is in fact what I'd refer to as Procedural animation. CAT Motion is completely customizable so you can get a lot of character out of a walk cycle just like you would if you set up that walk Pose to Pose. It's not a set of specifically recorded movements like mocap is.
Clint DiClementi
Yes I'm excited to try using the pose to pose method with the cat rig (having only ever done simple animations with custom rigs before), I guess as a hobbyist I have the luxury/freedom of choosing which approach to take. Sounds like I have a lot to learn about industry standards before I could go pro.
Your tutorials are really valuable and amongst some of the best I've seen on youtube! So thanks and keep up the good work :)
Hi Clint,
When I activate autokey and start loading poses, my CAT object (character) moves below the grid....What am I doing wrong?
any advice on how to plan animation on a 24 frames per sec timescale?
Where did the model come from? Was it self made or part of 3ds?
It first came from this video demonstration: czcams.com/video/5FmhP3xiHFQ/video.html
Then we used it to make a CAT rig in this one: czcams.com/video/kxb3V8Pd9BA/video.html
However, the rig/model doesn't really matter as the Pose to Pose animation tools are all the same for any rig.
Hi :D I am having one problem the prevents me from following along this tutorial. I solo out the bones in a model that is fully rigged, and when I select one of the bones and go to the animation tab, there is no layer manager tab. I got a free Iron Man model that is fully rigged. Is there maybe different views in this program that make the layer manager tab look different?
Igor Bajic Make sure it wasn't rigged using a different method like Biped. =)
aha well the the bones I select are named biped..... so how do I work with that?
When I try to save poses, 3dsmax saves only hands. Legs are still on the same position. Am I doing something wrong?
Make sure you are selecting the Pelvic Hub Bone first, and then be sure to check the box that says Save Whole Rig as well. Hopefully that helps!
any idea why or how to set it to save the jpegs? in your vid it seems to do that automaticly but doesnt work for me. Thanks.
That's a good question but sadly I am not sure where the setting to save the .jpg is at. It has always just done it automatically for me!
Hey Clint, or anyone else, I recently heard some rumors that 3dsmax eventually will be phase out ,anyone know something about that?? Just rumors or there really is such a possibility?(just like Autodesk killed XSI SoftImage)
I seriously doubt they will phase it out any time soon. The industry is still very much split down the middle between 3DS and Maya. Softimage was not as great a contender sadly. Tools in 3DS Max like Particle Flow are still such a quality toolset for special effects artists, as well as other things like Games are still widely used with both Max and Maya, and Architectural Rendering are still almost solely in 3DS Max. Newer tools like CAT are even bringing 3DS back into a better position for character animation now as well. Maya still holds the title for character animators and has a lot of fun special effects features of it's own. If anything the two will merge in the distant future into one super program... but I'm certain that is a long way off still.
Great video, and I'm sure it'll speed up the animation process once I figure out this issue. Your default Motion panel view shows the layer manager, but I've been pulling my hair out for hours looking for the damn thing! My view is completely different.
Please take a look at this screengrab and tell me what I'm doing wrong. Hoping it's something small and dumb: imgur.com/0l7ZGja
it looks like you are using Biped and not CAT from what I can see in the image. It's the other rigging system in max, czcams.com/video/lwAceZeG8oQ/video.html is the similar tools with Biped.
Thanks Clint. I'm working with someone else's rig and I'm used to Maya, but I still feel a bit dumb for mistaking it for CAT.
Your other video was great too, and has now convinced me to avoid Biped for life :D
Thanks again for replying.
Chris Warren Not a problem, don't feel too bad especially for someone used to working in another 3D package. Biped is the older system and worked best for game characters utilizing motion capture... CAT is much more animator friendly as it was designed by actual animators. Glad you got it figured out, and I definitely recommend trying CAT next time! =)
,,
bad resolution grr
you are talking too much maaan