Degrees of Freedom (DOF) are a set of properties that let you set limits on the translation, rotation, and scaling of any selected object or animated hierarchy. Defining Degrees of Freedom for objects in a scene lets you restrict their range of movement.
Properties window: Degrees of Freedom properties
Degrees of Freedom for translation let you define the coordinates an object is allowed to occupy on the X-, Y-, and Z-axes. For rotation, Degrees of Freedom properties let you define the angles an object can rotate through on the X-, Y-, and Z- axes. Degrees of Freedom properties for scaling let you limit the size of the selected object.
Although many objects can have DOF properties to limit their movement, these properties are commonly used with characters. For example, you can define Degrees of Freedom for the bones in a skeleton so that the arms of a model do not rotate through the body. You can also use DOF to prevent a character’s limbs from colliding with other limbs in the same chain, or to ensure that their joints do not rotate in impossible directions. You can also define Degrees of Freedom for a glove device even if no character is used.
With Degrees of Freedom, you can set limits on both the axis and rotation of any bone in a model’s skeleton. You can retarget animation including DOF from one character to another, keeping the amount of data required low.
Degrees of Freedom are also important in terms of performance and overall efficiency, as they allow you to reduce the number of keyframes going into a project. This is crucial if you are trying to create animation with lighter amounts of data, such as in game development.
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