Understanding Parent, Child, and Root Relationships


Max uses several terms to describe the relationships between objects. A parent object is an object that controls any secondary, or child, objects linked to it. A child object is an object that is linked to and controlled by a parent. A parent object can have many children, but a child can have only one parent. Additionally, an object can be both a parent and a child at the same time.

A hierarchy is the complete set of linked objects that includes these types of relationships. Ancestors are all the parents above a child object. Descendants are all the children below a parent object. The root object is the top parent object that has no parent and controls the entire hierarchy.

Each hierarchy can have several branches or subtrees. Any parent with two or more children represents the start of a new branch.

CROSS-REF 

The default hierarchies established using the Link tool are referred to as forward-kinematics systems, in which control moves forward down the hierarchy from parent to child. In forward-kinematics systems, the child has no control over the parent An inverse-kinematics system (covered in Chapter 40, "Adding Inverse Kinematics") enables child objects to control their parents.

All objects in a scene, whether linked or not, belong to a hierarchy. Objects that aren't linked to any other objects are, by default, children of the world object, which is an imaginary object that holds all objects.

Note 

You can view the world object, labeled Objects, in the Track View. Individual objects are listed under the Objects track by their object name.

You have several ways to establish hierarchies using Max. The simplest method is to use the Link and Unlink buttons found on the main toolbar. You can also find these buttons in the Schematic View window. The Hierarchy panel in the Command Panel provides access to valuable controls and information about established hierarchies. When creating complex hierarchies, a bones system can help.

CROSS-REF 

The Schematic View window is covered in Chapter 11, "Working with the Schematic View," and bone systems are covered in Chapter 39, "Working with Bones and Rigging Characters."




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

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