Maya 8 at a Glance

Chapter 9: Animation

Ways to Animate

2

• Creating Keyframes

• Path Animation

• Set Driven Keys

• Nonlinear Animation

• Expressions

• Simulations

Keyframe Animation

3

• Keys record attribute changes over time

• The ‘Set Key’ command sets keyframes on all keyable attributes

• You can right-click on channels in the Channel box to keyframe specific attributes

• Auto Key will detect changes in attributes and automatically generate keyframes

Path Animation

4

• Allows you to draw out a path that the object will take through the scene

• Commonly used for vehicles and other objects that animate using routes

Set Driven Keys

5

• Allows you to let the motion of one object drive another

• Used commonly for character rigging, such as making teeth move along a jaw opening

Nonlinear Animation

6

• Uses the Trax Editor to combine animation clips to build animation

• Clips can be trimmed, stretched, cycled, and blended together to create new motions

• Used a lot in character animation

Expressions

7

• Mathematical equations, programming commands, and MEL commands that can precisely control an object’s motion

• Used in rigging and for motion that requires mathematical equations, such as a tire rotating based on the motion of a car

Simulations

8

• Simulates physics to create motion

• Soft and Rigid Body dynamics let you set up initial conditions, apply forces, and then run simulations

• Often used for special effects

Graph Editor

9

• Displays keyframes as curves

Tangent Types

10

Spline Linear Clamped

Flat Stepped Plateau

Character Animation

11

• Character sets collect all the attributes associated with a character in one place

• Character sets allow you to animate characters a pose at a time

Trax Editor

12

• Trax is Maya’s nonlinear animation editor

• Stores animation as clips

• Clips can be layered, trimmed, and edited to create new sequences

• Animation used in Trax must be part of a character set

Clips and Poses

13

• A clip is a collection of animation curves for a character

• Source clips are added to the character’s scene and are the ‘Master’ copy

• Regular clips are inserted under its character in the Trax editor and can be edits of the source clips

• A Pose is a clip that is only one frame long