Assign Controller

Command entry: Track View

Controllers toolbar

(Assign Controller)

Command entry: Track View

Highlight a controller track in the Controller window.

Controller menu

Assign

Command entry:

Motion panel

Assign Controller rollout

Highlight a track in the list.

(Assign Controller)

Command entry:Keyboard

Use Assign Controller to assign animation controllers to any animatable parameter or track in Track View.

Animation controllers and constraints provide powerful tools for animating all the objects and materials in a scene. For example, rather than keyframing the position of an object in your scene, the object can follow a spline using the Path constraint, react to any animated parameter using a Reaction controller, or move to the beat of music using the Audio controller. You can combine controllers with a List Controller. You can drive a single vertex or control point on a complex object by a variety of controllers.

You can also assign controllers using the right-click menu in the Track View Controller window. Or you can assign controllers on the Motion panel, with Schematic View, and from the Animation menu.

To view lists of available controllers and constraints, see Animation Controllers and Animation Constraints.

Constraints and Controllers

Technically, there is no difference between a controller and a constraint. A constraint is simply a controller that requires the use of a second object. For example, a Path constraint is a controller that requires a spline object for a path.

Special-Case Controllers

Special-case controllers are not assigned manually with the Assign Controller command. They are applied automatically during certain procedures.

Barycentric Morph Controller is applied by selecting an object and clicking Command panel Geometry Compound Objects Morph.

A Master Point Controller is assigned when animating vertices, control points, or vectors in the sub-object mode of an Editable Mesh, Editable Spline, Editable Patch, NURBS surface, or FFD modifier.

Slave Controllers can be assigned manually, but is also automatically applied to selected tracks when a Block controller is created in Track View Global Tracks. A Slave controller transfers key data to a Block controller. Slave controllers are described in the Block controller topic.

Procedures

To assign an animation controller in Track View:

In the Track View Hierarchy, select one or more parameter items of the same type.
From the Controller menu, choose Assign.
Choose a controller type from the Assign Controller dialog.
If a parameter has already been animated, then assigning a new controller has one of the following effects:
- The existing animation values are recalculated to produce a similar animation with the new controller. For example, replacing Position XYZ with Bezier Position closely preserves the animation.
- The existing animation values are discarded. For example, replacing Smooth Rotation with Noise Rotation discards the Smooth Rotation animation values.

Interface

Assign Controller: Choose a controller type from the Assign ... Controller dialog. Depending on the type of track currently highlighted, the dialog lists a subset of the different types of controllers.