Page 620 - Kitab3DsMax

Part V: Animation and Rendering Basics

You can create keys in numerous ways, but the easiest is with the Key Controls found on the lower interface
bar. These controls are located to the left of the Time Controls. Table 21.2 displays and explains all these
controls. Closely related to the Key Controls is the Track Bar, which is located under the Time Slider.

TABLE 21.2
Key Controls

Toolbar Button Name Description
Set Key (K) Creates animation keys in Set Key mode.

Toggle Auto Key Mode (N) Sets keys automatically for the selected
object when enabled.
Toggle Set Key Mode (') Sets keys as specified by the key filters for the
selected object when enabled.
Selection Set drop-down list Specifies a selection set to use for the given
keys.
Default In/Out Tangents for New Keys Assigns the default tangents that are used on
all new keys.
Open Filters Dialog box Contains pop-up options for the filtering keys.

Max includes two animation modes: Auto Key (N) and Set Key ('). You can select either of these modes by
clicking the respective buttons at the bottom of the interface. When active, the button turns bright red, and
the border around the active viewport also turns red to remind you that you are in animate mode. Red also
appears around a spinner for any animated parameters.

Auto Key mode
With the Auto Key button enabled, every transformation or parameter change creates a key that defines
where and how an object should look at that specific frame.
To create a key, drag the Time Slider to a frame where you want to create a key and then move the selected
object or change the parameter, and a key is automatically created. When the first key is created, Max auto-
matically goes back and creates a key for frame 0 that holds the object’s original position or parameter.
Upon setting the key, Max then interpolates all the positions and changes between the keys. The keys are
displayed in the Track Bar.
Each frame can hold several different keys, but only one for each type of transform and each parameter. For
example, if you move, rotate, scale, and change the Radius parameter for a sphere object with the Auto Key
mode enabled, then separate keys are created for position, rotation, scaling, and a parameter change.

Set Key mode
The Set Key button (') offers more control over key creation and sets keys only when you click the Set Key
button (K). It also creates keys only for the key types enabled in the Key Filters dialog box. You can open

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