topic Re: Animating multiple objects in 3ds Max Animation and Rigging Forum

Animating multiple objects

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Nov 2018 12:22:29 GMT

Hi Autodesk forum.

I am trying to animate alot of boxes moving from there individual positions to point 1-2-3-4, but it has to be one at a time (offset). Does anyone have some input to how this can be done without scripting?

Re: Animating multiple objects

leeminardi — Fri, 02 Nov 2018 18:46:35 GMT

In the attached file I placed Path Constraint Controllers on three boxes which all reference the same path (spline). A Spline IK Control modifier with helpers has been added to the spline The spline's beginning is at the bottom of the screen to allow the movement of the top helpers without affecting the bottom helpers. Therefore, the three boxes are keyframed to start with a % Along Path value close to 100% (BoxA =91% at the start, B = 96%, and C = 100%). and each eventually goes to zero.

BoA is keyframed to start moving at frame 5, B at frame 15, and C at frame 30. The third helper from the top end is keyed to jump (via a step function) at frame 15 to the position of BoxB, and BoxB's % Along Path value is adjusted accordingly. A similar strategy is used for BoxC. Essentially the action is controlled by two factors, the keyframing of the % Along Path value for each box and the relocation of the end spline vertices with a step function every time the next box start to move. A spline vertex is needed for the starting point of each box.

It is difficult to explain in words how this works. Examine the file for the specific action. Hitting play will show some premovement of Box B and C but stepping through it one frame at a time shows appropriate motion so it should render fine.

Re: Animating multiple objects

leeminardi — Sat, 03 Nov 2018 14:48:29 GMT

The method I outline in my previous post is too complicated and has some issues with getting object positioned correctly. Here, I think is a better approach that uses two paths to control the motion of each box. The second of the two paths can be shared by all boxes. The timing and positioning of the boxes is controlled by keyframing the weight factor of which path should be used while the timing is controlled by the % Along Path parameter of the box.

A Link Contraint Controller is first added to each box's Transform followed by adding a Path Constraint Controller as can be seen here.

In the attached file the boxes A, B, and C travel along their respective paths (LineA,B, C) then jump to LineFinal fro the remainder of their journey. For example, in the picture below BoxA is now on LineFinal in frame 32, while BoxB is on LineB. At frame 45 BoxB will change to LineFinal.

The weight for BoxB is 100% until frame 45 at which point it becomes 0 and the weight for LineFinal becomes 100. The % Along Path value goes from 0 to 100 while on LineB then goes again from 0 to 100 while in LineFinal.

Re: Animating multiple objects

fla3d — Sat, 03 Nov 2018 17:42:16 GMT

I would go with particle flow with find target operator. To make the particles move one at a time I would go with a deflector, making the particles start moving after hitting the deflector.

I'm trying to attach a sample file where you can replace the birth grid by a birth group to use your existing objects as particles but there seems to be some error with the upload here so get the files in the link below:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6gk5sx218qsivyo/test_particles_findtarget.max?dl=0

Re: Animating multiple objects

Anonymous — Wed, 07 Nov 2018 14:01:42 GMT

I have never messed around with particles, is the particles view suppose to be empty like this?

Re: Animating multiple objects

Anonymous — Thu, 08 Nov 2018 13:32:39 GMT

Okay, so i have been getting into to this Particle Flow thing, and i seem to begin to understand it, there is just one thing i cant figure out, how do you get your boxes aligned to nice, mine are just random.

Your file seem to be so easy to adjust, e.g. adjustning the boundry box is easy, and also how did you even get that box to be outside of the PFsource icon?

Re: Animating multiple objects

Anonymous — Thu, 08 Nov 2018 13:44:05 GMT

So i realised that your cubes/boxes are in the Birth Grid, and mine are from the PF source, how did you get them to emit from the Birth Grid?

Re: Animating multiple objects

Anonymous — Thu, 08 Nov 2018 14:00:34 GMT

I feel so stupid, i see that the Birh Grid automatically placed itself at the 0,0,0 world cordinate, and i was to far out to one side so i didnt see it 🙂

Re: Animating multiple objects

Anonymous — Thu, 08 Nov 2018 14:59:40 GMT

But can you then tell me why the "birth group boxes" dont stay in the same place as the "original boxes"? They move down into the floor of the container.

And maybe how to move them?

Birth Group objectsOriginal placed objects (boxes)

Re: Animating multiple objects

fla3d — Thu, 08 Nov 2018 16:25:03 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
But can you then tell me why the "birth group boxes" dont stay in the same place as the "original boxes"? They move down into the floor of the container.
And maybe how to move them?

Birth Group objectsOriginal placed objects (boxes)

I'm glad you're getting there, but I need to see your setup to understand what is happening, can you show your particle view or share the file?