Mixer Transition Editor Dialog (Non-Biped Object)

Command entry:Graph Editors menu

Motion Mixer

Select a non-biped object clip transition.

Motion Mixer menu bar

Transitions

Edit

The Mixer Transition Editor controls transitions on transition tracks. You can use this dialog to change the start and end times of transitions, change the transition focus, and perform other functions. Mix transition blend objects are changeable from clip to clip, and any new transition that results from cloning or adding clips initially uses the blend options from the last clip in time.

The options on this dialog are much the same as for Bipeds, except that:

Mix transitions for 3ds Max objects do not have ghosting or playback controls.
You can explicitly pick blend objects from any object being mixed in the track.
The sub-blend capability provides further tuning of the transition.

Blending and Sub-Blending

Consider a character walking around a corner. The trajectory of the character's root describes an arc, while the IK feet cycle along the ground. This clip contains a few footsteps, and is used to make a mixer cycle that should take the character around in a circle. If you set the root and the feet all to be velocity blends, the transition will result in the root continuing around the corner while the feet continue in whatever direction they were moving at transition time! That is, if the right foot was just about to hit the ground with its heel, thus pointing up a bit, it would transition upward into the next clip instead of blending in the direction that the root’s arc is taking. If you set the root to be a velocity blend and then set the feet to be sub-blends of the root, the transition results in the root continuing on its arc around the corner but with the feet blending in relation to it. That is, the upward-pointing right foot motion will blend with the foot motion in the new clip but in the direction of the arc, not in its own upward direction.

Interface

Length: Sets the number of frames for the duration of the transition.

Transitions are calculated by matching velocities in both clips. Smooth out abrupt velocity changes using longer transitions.
Ease In: Ease-in value for the source clip.
Ease Out: Ease-out value for the destination clip.

Source Clip and Destination Clip groups

The following options let you set different parameters proper to both source and destination clips involved in the transition.

Start Frame

Set the transition start frame for the source and destination clips in their respective fields. Duration for the source and destination clips displays above the Start Frame fields.

RollingKeeps the clip in motion during the transition.
FixedFor the source clip, this option freezes motion at the Start Frame position during the transition. For the destination clip, this option freezes motion at the End Frame position. If Fixed is chosen for both the source and destination clips, the transition is a gradual interpolation from one frozen pose to another.

Velocity Blends group

A Velocity Blend object is one that has its positions blended based on velocity (like a biped's COM). Objects used for Velocity Blending are most commonly the roots of the mix hierarchy. When you pick an object for velocity blending, its animation will accumulate based on its trajectory in the scene; for example, choosing the root of a character as the blend object will ensure that the character’s animation is transitioned relatively from clip to clip, so the character keeps moving through world space instead of repeating each clip as absolute. All children of the root will follow in the transition.

In some cases, you might want to use velocity blending for a child object.

By default, the Transition Editor uses no velocity blend objects.

ImportantIf you use velocity blending, pick your blend objects before you optimize the transition.

Velocity Nodes list: Lists the objects you have chosen for velocity blending.
Select Velocity Nodes: Click to display a Pick Nodes dialog and choose the objects to velocity blend.
Delete Velocity Nodes: Click to delete the highlighted objects from the list.
Set Other Transition Velocity Nodes: Copies the set of velocity blend objects to all other transitions in the current track.
Roll: When on, accumulates the roll (X) angle during the transition. When off, the angle is simply blended with the next clip. Default=on.

The spinner value lets you specify an additional angle to add to the roll.
Pitch: When on, accumulates the pitch (Y) angle during the transition. When off, the angle is simply blended with the next clip. Default=on.

The spinner value lets you specify an additional angle to add to the pitch.
Yaw: When on, accumulates the yaw (Z) angle during the transition. When off, the angle is simply blended with the next clip. Default=on.

The spinner value lets you specify an additional angle to add to the yaw.
X/Y/Z: When on, accumulates position in the specified axis during the transition. When off, the position is simply blended with the next clip. Default=on.

Sub-Blends group

In order for other world-space objects to transition within the space of the velocity blend or a child of the velocity blend, you need to specify a sub-blend. For example, think of a rig that has a root moving through world space, and also has world-space IK foot controls. In this case, you would pick the root as the velocity blend, then select the root in the list and add the foot controls as its sub-blends. The result of this will be the that root makes a smooth transition and the feet make as smooth a transition as possible in the direction that the legs are going (within the root’s space) at transition time, not in the direction that the feet themselves are going at transition time.

Sub-Blend Nodes list: Displays the objects chosen for sub-blending.
Select Sub-blend Nodes: Click to display a Pick Nodes dialog and choose the objects to sub-blend.

Before you pick sub-blend nodes, you must first choose a velocity blend node in the upper list. Typically this is the parent of the nodes that will be sub-blends.
Delete Sub-blend Nodes: Click to delete the highlighted objects from the list.
Set Other Transition Sub-blend Nodes: Copies the set of velocity sub-blend objects to all other transitions in the current track.

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Previous Transition: Goes to the previous transition in the transition track.

Displays the previous transition in the Transition Editor, moves the time slider to the start frame of the previous transition and highlights the previous clip in the transition track.
Next Transition: Goes to the next transition in the transition track.

Displays the next transition in the Transition Editor, moves the time slider to the start frame of the next transition and highlights the next clip in the Scripts list.
Current Frame: Displays the current frame number.
Go To Start Frame: Moves the time slider to the first frame of the transition.
Optimize Transition: Displays the Transition Optimization dialog.

Options in the Transition Optimization dialog allow you to search for the location for the transition.

ImportantIf you use velocity blending, pick your blend objects before you optimize the transition.
OK: Confirms the current settings and closes the dialog.