Working with Controllers

Everything you animate in 3ds max is handled by a controller. A controller is a plug-in that handles the storage and interpolation of all animated values.

Although the program has many different types of controllers, most animation is handled by the Bezier controller. Other controllers exist to provide you with animation options and special animation techniques. You can also add to the available controllers by acquiring new controller plug-ins, extending the program's animation capabilities.

New to 3ds max5, the default controller for Rotation is now Euler, rather than Bezier. The default controller for Position is Position X,Y,Z. Only the Scale controller default remains as Bezier. If you load in files made in earlier versions of the software, their existing controllers will be maintained.

The software has a specialized type of controller called a constraint which is commonly used to create animate. A constraint is a controller which relies on another object to define it's animation.

Constraints and controllers can now be applied via the Animation menu. If you assign a controller from this menu, a weighted list controller is automatically applied, with the controller you've selected appearing first in the list. The weighted list controller will give you the ability to blend controllers, not unlike a non-linear animation system.If you assign a controller via the Motion panel or Track View, this automatic assignment does not take place.

This section explains techniques of working with controllers. See Animation Controllers for details about the parameters and use of each controller type. Following is a list of topics in this section:

Understanding Controllers

Changing Controller Properties

Assigning Controllers

Specifying Default Controllers

General-Purpose Controllers

Special-Purpose Controllers

Float Controllers

Controlling Transforms

Controlling Position

Controlling Rotation

Controlling Colors

Morph Controllers