There are two types of animation that a biped can perform: Freeform animation and Footstep animation. In this lesson, you'll use Freeform animation to make Dr. X do a series of deep knee bends. Freeform animation does not use footsteps. You manually set all the keys in a Freeform animation.

To get an idea of how your animation should turn out, view the preview animation, dr_x_kneebends.avi, in the folder \sceneassets\renderassets\.

Set up the lesson:

1. Open dr_x_03.max.

   This scene contains Dr. X with properly adjusted envelopes.

   

2. Press the H key and choose DrX Biped L Foot from the object list.

Plant the feet:

Since Dr. X is doing squats, his feet are not required to move. You'll plant his feet to keep them from moving throughout the exercise.

1. Go to the Motion panel.
2. Expand the Key Info rollout, and expand the IK expansion bar.

   The left foot is selected, so you can set a key for it.

3. the Key Info rollout, click (Set Planted Key).
4. In the Track Selection rollout, click (Opposite) to select DrX Biped R Foot.
5. Click (Set Planted Key) to set a key for the right foot.

Animate the first knee bend:

You'll start by animating the knee-bending motion. Dr. X will start the knee bend in his current stance with arms outstretched, and perform a total of four squats. When completed, he'll return to his original stance.

When the feet are planted, you animate the knees bending by moving the biped's center of mass up and down.

1. Make sure the time slider is at frame 0.
2. In the Track Selection rollout, click (Body Vertical).

   This selects the center of mass’s body vertical track.

3. Turn on (Auto Key).
4. Move the center of mass (COM) downward slightly to make the character's knees bend a little bit.

   

   This places a key for the center of mass's body vertical track at frame 0.

5. Right-click the Front viewport to activate it, and drag the time slider to frame 15.
6. Move the COM down about –0.25m on the Z-axis.

   Watch the Coordinate display Z-field until it reaches about –0.25m and release the mouse button. A key is automatically created at frame 15. This is Dr. X's squatted pose.

   

7. Scrub (drag) the time slider to see Dr. X bend his knees once.

Copy and paste the standing posture:

1. Drag the time slider to frame 0.
2. Expand the Copy/Paste rollout.

   The tools on this rollout enable you to quickly copy and paste keys from one frame to other frames. By default, the Posture option is selected. This option pastes keys from individual body parts.

3. In the Copy/Paste rollout, click (Create Collections). Name the Collection Dr. X poses.
4. Click (Copy Posture).
5. In the Copied Postures field, rename the posture Standing.
6. Drag the time slider to frame 30.
7. Make sure (Auto Key) is still on.
8. On the Copy/Paste rollout, paste options group, click (Paste Vertical).
9. Click (Paste Posture).

   Dr. X stands up again. When you paste a posture with Auto Key turned on, a key is created at the current frame with the new posture. Here, a new key was created for the COM's Body Vertical track at frame 30.

Copy and paste the squatting posture:

1. Go to frame 15.
2. On the Copy/Paste rollout, click (Copy Posture). Rename the posture Squatting.
3. Go to frame 45, and click (Paste Posture).

Paste the remaining postures:

Now that you've stored the two postures, you can easily paste them to other frames.

1. Go to frame 60. Choose the Standing posture from the Copied Postures list, and click Paste Posture.
2. Go to frame 75. Choose the Squatting posture from the Copied Postures list, and click Paste Posture.
3. On frame 90, paste the Standing posture.
4. On frame 105, paste the Squatting posture.
5. On frame 120, paste the Standing posture.

   You have now created all the knee-bend motions for this animation. If you like, you can play the animation to see the motion.

6. Turn off (Auto Key).
7. Save the scene as MyDrX02.max.

Animate the arms:

Now that the legs are set to bend, you'll rotate the arms and lock the upper body. As Dr. X dips down, his arms are going to swing forward, then back out to his sides as he rises. You'll also set two keys to lock the upper body to keep Dr. X facing forward.

1. Press the H key and choose DrX Biped L UpperArm.
2. On the Track Selection rollout, click (Symmetrical) to select the opposite upper arm.
3. Drag the time slider to frame 0.
4. On the Key Info rollout, click (Set Key).

   This sets a key for the arms in their outstretched position.

   WarningBe sure to use the Set Key button on the Key Info rollout, not the Set Key text button under Auto Key.
5. On the Copy/Paste rollout, click (Copy Posture). Name the posture Arms Out.
6. Drag the time slider to frame 15.
7. Turn on (Auto Key).
8. In the Top viewport, rotate the arms about –75 degrees around the Z-axis.

   Look at the Z-field in the Coordinate display Z-field when rotating the arms. A key is added, and Dr. X's arms are in the forward position.

   TipSometimes the arms will rotate in parallel, instead of in opposite directions. If this happens to you, select and rotate each arm individually.

   

9. On the Copy/Paste rollout, click Copy Posture, and name the posture Arms Forward.
10. Paste the copied postures to set keys for the arms on these frames:
    • Frame 30: Arms Out
    • Frame 45: Arms Forward
    • Frame 60: Arms Out
    • Frame 75: Arms Forward
    • Frame 90: Arms Out
    • Frame 105: Arms Forward
    • Frame 120: Arms Out
11. Turn off (Auto Key).

Play the animation:

1. Select all the parts of the biped, and right-click and choose Hide Selection.
2. Select the mesh. On the Modify panel, turn on the MeshSmooth modifier by clicking the light bulb to turn it on.
3. Play the animation.

   Stop the animation when you are done watching playback.

4. Save the scene as my_drx03_freeform.max.

Save a motion clip:

When you're happy with the results of the animation, you want to save it so that in the future you can apply the motion to other bipeds in other scenes. When you save a motion, it is saved in the .bip file format, the native format for biped character movement.

1. Right-click a viewport and choose Unhide All.
2. Select any part of the biped.
3. On the Biped rollout, click (Save File).

   3ds Max displays the Save File dialog.

4. Specify a folder where you are storing your motion files, such as a new \character_animation\motions folder.
5. Type my_kneebends as the file name and click Save.

   The motion is saved as a BIP file.

   To learn more about freeform animation, see the tutorial Freeform Animation.