Copy Collections

Copy collections are designed to make it easier to manage copied posture, pose, and track information by grouping it together. This improves the way copied animation data is organized when it is transferred between files within a session:

• You can display smaller sets of poses, postures, and tracks in the list.
• You can load more than one CPY file into a single scene.
• You can either append a loaded set to an existing one or replace it entirely.

Copy/Paste Buffers

In character studio, you can save multiple copy/paste buffers for each of the three modes: Posture, Pose, and Track. These are available from the Copied Postures/Poses/Tracks drop-down list; the active buffer that the Paste buttons use is the one whose name is visible in the field at the top of the list. A thumbnail view gives a preview of what the active buffer has saved.

Buffers are saved with your MAX scene file, and also remain available in your 3ds Max session, even if you reset.

The default name of a buffer depends on which mode you are in. In the Posture and Pose modes, the name of the buffer consists of abbreviated names of the body parts you selected, followed by a sequence number. For example, RArmRFing1 is the first buffer for the posture or tracks of the biped's right arm and finger. In Pose mode, the name of the buffer is always “Pose,” followed by a sequence number. For example, Pose03.

To give a buffer a custom name, make it active, highlight its name in the field at the top of the buffer list, and then enter a new name.

For hands-on experience using the Copy/Paste rollout, see the lesson called “Creating a Simple Freeform Animation” found in the tutorial entitled Animating with Freeform.

Paste and Paste Opposite

For each mode, there are two paste options: Paste, and Paste Opposite. These are useful in different situations:

• PasteIn the Posture and Pose modes, Paste is useful for copying positioning from one biped to a different biped, or for restoring a biped's positioning at a different frame of an animation. In Track mode, Paste is useful mainly for copying movement from one biped to a different biped.
• Paste OppositeIn Posture mode, Paste Opposite is useful for making one limb assume the posture of the other, either at the same frame or different frames. In Pose mode, Paste Opposite reverses the biped's pose, or applies that reverse pose to a different biped. In Track mode, Paste Opposite can make a biped's limbs move symmetrically, or apply the opposite of the copied movement to a different biped.

Procedures

Example: To load multiple collections between files within a single session:

1. Create a biped and load some animation onto it.
2. On the Motion panel Copy/Paste rollout, click (Create Collection) and name the collection Upper.
   
3. Select all of the biped's links from the spine up and, after making sure you're in Posture mode, click (Copy Posture). Repeat this step for every 10 frames of your animation.
   
4. Create a new collection and name it Lower.
5. Go to frame 0. Select all of the biped's links from the pelvis down and copy a posture at every 10 frames.
6. Choose the Upper collection from the Copy Collections drop-down list, and save it. Then, choose the Lower collection and save it as well.
7. Save your scene and then reset 3ds Max ( Application menu Reset).
8. Create a new biped and load the Upper collection.
9. For every 10 frames, select the biped's upper body and paste the corresponding posture from the Copied Postures drop-down list. Set a key for each pasted posture.
   
10. Load the Lower collection and repeat the last step with the biped's lower body selected, setting a key for each posture.
11. Delete the Lower collection.
12. On the Copy/Paste rollout, click (Max Load Preferences) and in the dialog, make sure both options are turned on. Close the dialog and load the saved 3ds Max file.

    Notice that the Copy Collections drop-down list now contains three collections: two Upper collections (one from the current file and one from the incoming) and one Lower collection from the incoming file.

To capture different snapshots:

1. Under the thumbnail snapshot of the Copied Postures group, click (Capture Snapshot From Viewport).
2. Orbit your current viewport to different user views and copy a biped posture.

   Notice that your snapshot matches the viewport angle.

   
3. Click (Capture Snapshot Automatically) and copy a posture again.

   Notice that your snapshot is displayed from a frontal view.

4. Click (No Snapshot) and copy another posture.

   The capture has been replaced by a gray placeholder.

Example: To maintain copied COM data when pasting poses:

1. Create a biped and then create a new collection. Name the collection Poses.
2. Make sure you're in Pose mode, and at frame 0, click (Copy Pose) 0. Then go to frame 30.
3. Using tools from the Track Selection rollout, move your biped away from its current position and rotate it in all three axes.
   

   The biped with offset position and orientation

4. In the Paste Options group, enable all three Paste buttons.
5. Click (Paste Pose). The biped resets back to its original position and orientation since its copied COM data is maintained. Undo this step.
6. Disable (Paste Rotation) but keep the other two buttons enabled.
7. Click (Paste Pose). The biped resets back to its original position but remains rotated. This is due to the fact that the copied COM orientation is not maintained on paste. Undo the step.
8. Disable both (Paste Horizontal) and (Paste Vertical) but enable (Paste Rotation) once again. Click (Paste Pose).

   This time, the biped's position is maintained but not its orientation.

   

   Paste Rotation is the only enabled button

Example: To maintain COM offsets with By Velocity:

1. Create a biped. Then, on the Track Selection rollout, turn on (Body Horizontal).
2. At frame 0, set a key. Then make sure Pose mode is active, and copy your biped's pose.
3. Go to frame 10 and move the Body COM 50 units in the Y axis. Set a new key.
4. In the Paste Options group, enable (Paste Horizontal) but leave By Velocity turned off.
5. Go to frame 30 and paste your biped's pose.

   The biped jumps to the center of your scene. Undo this step.

6. In the Paste Options group, turn on By Velocity. Then try pasting your pose again. Notice how the biped's COM position is now offsetted by another 50 units in Y.

Example: To set TCB/IK Values when pasting postures:

1. Create a biped and then create a new collection. Name it Hands.
2. Select the biped's right hand, and on the Key Info rollout, set a key.
3. In the TCB group, set Ease To to 10, Ease From to 50, and all three TCB values to 5.
4. In the IK group, set IK Blend to 0.5. Choose the Object [Object Space[ option. Then set another key.
   
5. On the Copy/Paste rollout, make sure Posture mode is active, then click (Copy Posture).
6. Create a new biped next to the original one. Create a box next to its right hand.
   

   The original biped (left) and the new biped with box (right)

7. In the IK group, constrain the biped's hand to the box by clicking (Select IK Object) and then colicking the box in a viewport. Make sure the Body [Body Space] option is chosen.
8. On the Keyframing Tools rollout, turn off Separate FK Tracks Arms. Then turn on (Auto Key).
9. In the Paste Options group, set the Auto-Key TCB/IK Values to Default.
   
10. Click (Paste Posture).

    The hand assumes the copied posture and the key's TCB and IK values are set to default. Keys are also set for the whole arm.

11. Go to frame 30 and turn on Separate FK Tracks Arms.
12. Set Auto-Key TCB/IK Values to Copied and paste the posture.

    The copied value information is transferred to this new key. The key values are now 10 and 50 for the Ease To/Ease From, 5 for the TCB, and 0.5 for the IK Blend. The box is still the IK Object and Object Space remains chosen. Also notice that the hand is the only keyed limb.

13. Go to frame 15, set the Auto-Key TCB/IK Values to Interpolated, and paste the posture again.

    This new key averages up the values based on the previous and next keys, setting Ease To/Ease From to 5 and 25, TCB to 15, and IK Blend to 0.25. Also, Body Space is selected from the previous key.

Interface

Create Collections

Clears the current collection name and the poses, postures and tracks associated with it.

Load Collections

Loads a CPY file and displays its collection name at the top of the Copy Collections drop-down list, making it active.

Save Collections

Saves all the postures, poses and tracks stored within the active collection of the current session in a CPY file.

Delete Collection

Removes the current collection from the scene.

Delete All Collection

Removes all collections from the scene.

Max Load Preferences

Displays a dialog with options for actions to take when opening a scene file.

Keep Existing Collections

When on, sets biped to overwrite the existing Copy/Paste Buffer upon load. Default=Off.

Load Collections

When on, sets biped to load the Copy/Paste buffer from the incoming file, appending the current buffer. Default=On.

Posture, Pose, and Track

Choose one of these buttons to choose which kind of information you are copying and pasting. The copy/paste buttons change to indicate the current mode. Default=Pose.

Copy/Paste buttons

These buttons change according to the current mode, as described below in Posture, Pose and Track.

Delete Selected

Deletes the selected posture, pose, or track buffer. The selected buffer is the active one; that is, the buffer whose name is currently displayed in the Copied Postures/Poses/Tracks list.

Delete All

Deletes all the buffers in the Copied Postures/Poses/Tracks list.

Posture mode

Copy Posture

Copies the posture of the selected biped objects and saves it in a new posture buffer.

Paste Posture

Pastes the posture of the active buffer onto the biped.

Paste Posture Opposite

Pastes the posture of the active buffer onto the opposite side of the biped.

Pose mode

Copy Pose

Copies the current pose of the entire biped and saves it in a new pose buffer.

Paste Pose

Pastes the pose of the active buffer onto the biped.

Paste Pose Opposite

Pastes the opposite of the pose of the active buffer onto the biped.

Track mode

Copy Track

Copies the tracks for the selected biped objects and creates a new track buffer.

Paste Track

Pastes the track or tracks in the active buffer onto the biped.

Paste Track Opposite

Pastes the track or tracks in the active buffer onto the opposite side of the biped.