Animating with 3ds Max CAT
3ds Max CAT's FK/IK rig-manipulation system lets you simply push and pull the rig parts into the pose you want, whether in IK or FK. For walk-cycle sequences, CATMotion allows you to create a fully customized walk cycle and then direct the character around the scene without the need to place individual footsteps. Footprint collision detection provides the icing on the cake.
Animation is created in 3ds Max CAT's non-linear animation (NLA) system, the heart of which is the Layer Manager. One of the big advantages of 3ds Max CAT's NLA system is that you can work directly in an animation layer without having to go back out and tweak the source animation elsewhere.
Image courtesy of Deck13, from the game 'Jack Keane'