Animating Cameras/Objects on a Path Using TrackView in 3dsmax - Back

The purpose of this tutorial is to show you how to animate objects, cameras, lights and just about anything else along a path. This gives you a steady/smooth movement that is completely adjustable. Remember: After you've completed a tutorial, play around with the settings. Change things around and experiment. Get familiar with the entire process. If you don't learn WHY something works, and just learn HOW, you'll never be able to make anything of your own. And you'll never learn MAX. Nobody wants to see your demo reel of completed tutorials. So get in there and get your hands dirty! This tutorial was on request.

1. First you'll need to download this .max file: rocket.zip (19k). - This is a MAX 2.0 file - Nothing fancy in it but be aware.

This file contains a small scene I built with a rocket I modeled, a camera, a box, a helix and a line. You may (and I do suggest) building your own objects and paths to complete this tutorial.

2. Once you've loaded rocket.max select the camera.
3. Click the Motion tab.
4. Find the section labeled Assign Controller. You may have to scroll up to find it. (At least I do!)
5. Click the line that says Position. (Highlighted below.)

6. The Assign Controller button now lights up. Click it. Looks like a sideways triangle with an arrow pointing to the right. A window pops up.
7. Select Path and click OK.
8. Scroll down to find the section labeled Path Parameters. Click the Pick Path button.
9. Click the Helix.

Notice the camera has now snapped to the beginning of the Helix.

10. No click Pick Target and select the Rocket. The camera should now be looking directly at the rocket's pivot point.
11. Now select the Rocket. Repeat steps 3-8. And this time we will select the line in the middle of the helix as our path for the rocket.

The rocket has now snapped to the beginning of the line. This will always happen, so make sure you have you path where you want it. If it's not where you want it you can move the path or it's vertices even after you've assigned it as a path.

You want the rocket to Follow the Path exactly so we need to adjust some settings for the rocket's path.

12. Again find Path Parameters. Under Path Options click the Follow check box. Also select Z as the Axis instead of X.

13. Test your animation. The camera and rocket move at the same time. That's not good camera action. Let's adjust the times each object starts and ends it's movement.
14. Click the TrackView menu. Click Open TrackView.

You'll see to panes in this window. In the left pane is a Hierarchy Tree and in the right is the animation timeline. This contains all the animation information.

15. Click the Plus (+) in the circle next to Objects in the left pane. Then click the (+) next to Camera01. Then the (+) next to Transform and finally the (+) next to Position. You should see this:

We're going to make the camera move along the path faster so it stops right after the rocket takes off. To do this:

16. Click the MoveKeys button. Now click one of the keys at the end (it should grab all three) and drag it to the left until they're somewhere near the center.
17. Now click the (+) in the Circle next to Group01 (which is our rocket.) Then click the (+)Transform and then (+)Position.
18. Grab the keys at the beginning of the track (for Group01) and move them to the right just before the Camera01 keys end. Like so:

19. Close TrackView and Play the animation! When your all finished you should have something like this:

This tutorial is Copyright © 2006 Jeremy LaDuke. All rights reserved.

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