Page 958 - Kitab3DsMax

Part VIII: Advanced Animation Techniques
Using visibility tracks
When an object track is selected, you can add a visibility track using the Add Visibility Track button or the
Object Properties dialog box. This track enables you to make the object visible or invisible. The selected
track is automatically assigned the Bézier controller, but you can change it to an On/Off controller if you
want that type of control. You can use function curves mode to edit the visibility track.
Adding note tracks
You can add note tracks to any track and use them to attach information about the track. The Add Note
Track button is used to add a note track, which is marked with a yellow triangle and cannot be animated.
After you’ve added a note track in the Controller pane, use the Add Keys button to position a note key in
the Key pane by clicking in the note track. This adds a small note icon. Right-clicking the note icon opens
the Notes dialog box, where you can enter the notes, as shown in Figure 36.23. Each note track can include
several note keys.
The Notes dialog box includes arrow controls that you can use to move between the various notes. The field
to the right of the arrows displays the current note key number. The Time value displays the frame where a
selected note is located, and the Lock Key option locks the note to the frame so it can’t be moved or scaled.
You can use the Tracks ➪ Note Track ➪ Remove menu command to delete a selected note track.
FIGURE 36.23
The Notes dialog box lets you enter notes and position them next to keys.

Tutorial: Animating a hazard light
As an example of working with the Track View, you’ll animate a flashing hazard light in this tutorial.
To animate a flashing hazard light using function curves, follow these steps:
1. Open the Hazard.max file from the Chap 36 directory on the DVD.
This file contains a hazard barrier with a light.
2. Select Omni01, open the Track View–Curve Editor, and locate the Omni light’s Multiplier track.
(You can find this track under the Objects ➪ Omni01 ➪ Object(Omni Light) ➪ Multiplier menu
command.) Click the Add Keys button (or press the A key), and create a key on the dotted line
(its current multiplier value) at frame 0 and at frame 15. Set the end key to a value of 1.2.
3. Select the first key and set its position to 0 by moving the key down or by typing 0 in the value
display field. Click the Zoom Value Extends button to better see the shape of the curve. Click the
Play button.

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