Page 972 - Kitab3DsMax

Part IX: Working with Characters
FIGURE 37.2
This bone includes fins that make understanding its orientation easier.

Tutorial: Creating a bones system for an alligator
To practice creating a bones system, you’ll take a trip to the Deep South to gator country. The main move-
ment for this gator is going to be in its tail, so you need the most bones there. The front legs are smaller and
can be controlled with only two simple bones. You also won’t worry about fingers.

To create a bones system for an alligator, follow these steps:
1. Open the Alligator bones.max file from the Chap 37 directory on the DVD.
This file includes an alligator model created by Viewpoint Datalabs.
2. Select Create ➪ Systems ➪ Bones IK Chain, and in the IK Chain Assignment rollout, select IK
Limb from the IK Solver drop-down list. Then set the Width and Height values to 10 and enable
all the bone fins and set their Size to 5.
3. In the Top viewport, click once at the pelvis and then again at the mid-abdomen, the base of the
neck, and the end of the nose. Then right-click to end the bones chain.
4. While still in Bones mode, click below the pelvis and create an additional five bones to define the
tail. Then right-click to end the chain. Select the first bone in the tail chain and link it to the first
joint with the Select and Link tool that moves from the pelvis to the nose, which is the root joint.
Tip
If you can’t see the bones to make the link, then hide the body so the bones are clearly visible. n

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