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Main toolbar > Curve Editor (Open) > Select a track in the Track View hierarchy. > Track View toolbar > Controller menu > Assign > Reactor
Graph Editors > Track View – Curve Editor > Select a track in the Track View hierarchy. > Track View toolbar > Controller menu > Assign > Reactor
The Reactor controller is a procedural controller that reacts to changes in any other controller within the software. Reactor comes in five different forms: Position Reactor, Rotation Reactor, Point3 Reactor, Scale Reactor, and Float Reactor. Any animatable parameter in the software can react to changes in any other animatable parameter. Reactor is not based on time, but is based on other variables in your scene.
You can use a reactor controller to turn on a light as an object nears a given point. Muscles can bulge as an arm bone rotates. A ball can automatically squash as the ball's Z position nears the ground plane. Feet can rotate as their heels are lifted from the floor.
A particle system can be triggered by any given event. Morph target percentages can be controlled by events.
Example: To make the position of a sphere react to the position of a box:
On the left side of the Top viewport, create a box.
Turn on Auto Key, and then drag the time slider to frame 100.
In the Top viewport move the box to the right side of the viewport.
Move the Time Slider to frame 0, and turn off Auto Key.
In the Front viewport, create a sphere slightly above the box.
Open Curve Editor.
Select Modes > Dope Sheet from the Track View toolbar, expand the sphere's tracks in the Track View heirarchy, and select the Position track.
From the Track View menus, choose Controller > Assign, and select Position Reactor in the dialog. Click OK to close the dialog.
A range bar appears in the Track View Edit window for the sphere's position track. The Reactor Parameters dialog is displayed.
Click the React To button in the dialog.
In a viewport, click the box (Box01).
A pop-up menu appears.
In the pop-up menu, choose Transform > Position.
Tip: Just choosing the object name, "Box01," in the top-level pop-up is a shortcut for the object's position.
Box01\Position is displayed in the React To text. The first reaction (Reaction01) is created and appears in the list. This is the sphere over the box.
Move the time slider to frame 50.
The box moves half-way along its path.
On the Reactor Parameters dialog, click Create Reaction.
Reaction02 is displayed in the list window.
Turn on Edit Reaction State.
In the Front viewport, move the sphere high above and over the box.
Turn off Edit Reaction State.
Move the time slider to frame 100.
Click Create Reaction.
Reaction03 is displayed in the list window.
Turn on Edit Reaction State.
In the Front viewport, move the sphere just above the box.
Turn off Edit Reaction State.
Scrub the time slider back and forth.
The sphere, without any position keys, reacts to the motion of the box and moves back and forth. To smooth out the motion of the sphere, select Reaction02 in the list and set Influence to 400. Multiple reactions affect each other according to their Influence, Strength, and Falloff.
Move the box around in the viewports. The sphere reacts as you move the box around.
You can also turn on Auto Key and change the box's animation. The sphere's reaction to the box is preserved, and the path the sphere follows changes relative to the box's new positions.
To use manipulators for a position or rotation reactor controller:
(Point3, scale, and float reactors don't have manipulators.)
Select the object that has the reactor controller assigned to it.
On the default Main toolbar, click to turn on Select and Manipulate.
The manipulators appear in viewports.
In the active viewport, drag or click manipulators to adjust the reaction parameters.
When you move the mouse over a manipulator, the manipulator turns red to show that dragging or clicking it will have an effect.
Tip: Use the reactor manipulators in a wireframe viewport. (See Viewport Right-Click Menu.) Also, for the position reactor, you might have to change viewports to see a particular manipulator clearly.
The specific manipulators and their use are described at the end of this topic.
Reactors for position and rotation tracks have graphic manipulators to help you adjust their settings.
Other reactors, such as point3, scale, and float, do not have manipulators.
Manipulators are visible and usable while the Select and Manipulate button is turned on. This button is on the default main toolbar. When you move the mouse over a manipulator, the manipulator turns red to show that dragging or clicking it will have an effect.
Tip: Use the reactor manipulators in a wireframe viewport. (See Viewport Right-Click Menu.) Also, for the position reactor, you might have to change viewports to see a particular manipulator clearly.
Position reactors have a set of manipulators to control (or simply display) different reactor values.
Reaction cycle manipulator: Click this to cycle among the various reactions in the Reaction List. The display of the manipulators and indicators changes to show their settings for the active reaction.
This manipulator is a small yellow circle that appears in the lower-left corner of the active viewport, near the icon for coordinate axes.
Influence manipulator: Drag in a viewport to change the manipulator's size, which changes the reactor's range of influence.
This manipulator is a yellow sphere that turns red when you can drag it. At the center of the Influence manipulator is the Reaction Value manipulator.
Reaction Value manipulator: Drag in a viewport to change the reaction value, which for a position track is an XYZ location.
This manipulator is a light blue sphere that appears at the center of the Influence manipulator.
Object Pivot indicator: Shows the pivot point location of the React To object.
This indicator is a dark blue sphere. You can't manipulate it.
Reaction State manipulator: Drag to adjust the reaction state. For position reactions, the reaction state is an XYZ location that the reacting object approaches, depending on the animation of the React To object and the Influence value.
This manipulator is a small green square.
Reaction State indicator: Shows the reaction state value. This indicator is independent of the square green Reaction State manipulator, which you can drag in viewports. As you drag the green square, the indicator follows it.
This indicator is a small dark-blue dot.
After assigning the Reactor Controller, right-click the track to display the Reactor Parameters dialog.
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