Understanding Dynamics


Dynamics is a branch of physics that deals with forces and the motions they cause, and regardless of your experience in school, physics is your friend-especially in the world of 3D. Dynamics in Max can automate the creation of animation keys by calculating the position, rotation, and collisions between objects based on physics equations.

Consider the motion of a simple yo-yo. Animating this motion with keys is fairly simple: Set rotation and position keys halfway through the animation and again at the end, and you're finished.

Now think of the forces controlling the yo-yo. Gravity causes the yo-yo to accelerate toward the ground, causing the string to unwind, which makes the yo-yo spin about its axis. When it reaches the end of the string, the rotation reverses and the yo-yo rises. Using Gravity and Motor Space Warps, you can simulate this motion, but setting the keys manually is probably easier for these few objects.

But before you write off dynamics, think of the motion of popcorn popping. With all the pieces involved, setting all the position and rotation keys would take a long time. For this system, using dynamics makes sense.

Dynamic tools let you specify objects to include in a simulation, the forces they interact with, and the objects to be involved in collisions. After the system is defined, the Dynamics utility automatically calculates the movement and collisions of these objects according to the forces involved, and then it sets the keys for you.

Note 

Max includes several different dynamic tools, including dynamic objects such as a spring and damper, dynamic material properties found in the Material Editor, specialized dynamic Space Warps, and the Dynamics utility. Before investing too much time in the Dynamics utility, please realize that for dynamic simulations, the reactor features are more robust and easier to set up. The Dynamics utility still exists only for backwards compatibility.




3ds Max 9 Bible
3ds Max 9 Bible
ISBN: 0470100893
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2007
Pages: 383

flylib.com © 2008-2017.
If you may any questions please contact us: flylib@qtcs.net