You can choose to import the entire contents of scenes saved in MotionBuilder, or only those elements whose names match elements in your 3ds Max scene.

The animation you import from MotionBuilder is fully editable in 3ds Max.

Set up the lesson:

• Start 3ds Max. On the Quick Access toolbar, click (Open File). Open pepe_biped_pepe.max.

  The skeleton bones in this scene file have the same PEPE prefix as the character you exported to MotionBuilder.

Import the animated character to 3ds Max:

1. On the Application menu, choose Import.
2. On the Select File To Import dialog, navigate to the \3ds max 2011 tutorials\export\ folder, and open mypepe_biped_plotted.fbx (or use the presaved file \import\_pepe_biped_plotted.fbx).
   NoteThe presaved file is in the \import folder of the tutorial project, not the \export folder.
3. On the FBX Import dialog, expand the Include group.

   The File Content list displays Add And Update Scene Elements by default. If left as is, this setting would import not only the Pepe character, but the yellow reference skeleton as well.

4. From the File Content list, choose Update Scene Elements.

   

   This option updates only the scene elements in 3ds Max that share the same name as those in the imported file. No new elements are imported. If you were importing animation from MotionBuilder to a new 3ds Max scene, you would instead choose the Add To Scene option.

5. Click OK.

   3ds Max displays a warning about skeleton elements: The warning applies to the large MotionBuilder skeleton. You aren’t using this in the 3ds Max scene, so click OK.

6. Scrub the time slider to see how the MotionBuilder animation has been baked into the bones of the Pepe character.
   TipIt helps first to zoom out in the viewport, so you can see all of the animation.

   

Fine-tune the animation in 3ds Max:

1. Go to frame 0 and zoom in and orbit around Pepe’s hands.

   

   The character’s fingers are too close to the thighs

2. Select a part of the PEPE skeleton and go to the Motion panel.
3. Expand the Layers rollout and click (Create Layer) to create a new layer of animation.

   

4. On the main toolbar, click (Select By Name) and select the PEPE R Hand bone.
5. Right-click the viewport, and from the quad menu, choose Move.
6. Drag the hand away from Pepe’s body on its X and Z axes.

   

7. Expand the Key Info rollout and click (Set Key).

   

8. Expand the Track Selection rollout and click (Opposite) to select Pepe’s left hand.

   

9. Repeat steps 6 and 7 for the left hand, then replay the animation to see the result of your edits.
10. When you are satisfied with the new animation, on the Layers rollout, click (Collapse).

Save your work:

• Save the scene as my_pepe_iceslip.max.