9

1020 G lossa ry
TCB ( Tension, Continuity, B ias)
The TCB Position controller provides Tension,
Continuity , and Bias controls of the splines of a
function curve.
TCB Controllers (page 2–377) also produce
cur ve-based animation much like the Bezier
controllers (page 2–310). However, TCB cont rollers
do not use tangent types or adjustable tangent
handles. They use numeric va lues to adjust the
Tension, Continuity, and Bias of the animation.
Tension—Controls the amount of curvature in the
animation curve.
HighTensionproducesalinearcurve.Italsohasa
slight Ease To and E ase From effect.
Low Tension produces a very wide, rounded curve.
It also has a slight negative Ease To and Ease From
effect.
Thedefaultvalueof25producesanevenamount
of curvature through the key.
Co ntinuity—Controls the tangential property of
thecurveatthekey. Thedefaultsettingisthe
only value that produces a smooth animation
curvethroughthekey.Allothervaluesproducea
discontinuity in the animation curve causing an
abrupt change in the animation.
High Continuity values create curved overshoot
on both sides of the key. Low Continuity values
create a linear animation curve.
Low continuity creates a linear curve similar to
high tension except without the Ease To and Ease
From side effect.
Thedefaultvalueof25createsasmooth
cont inuous curve at the key.
Bias—Controls where the animation curve occurs
with respect to the key.
High Bias pushes the curve beyond the key. This
produces a linear curve coming into the key and
an exaggerated curve leaving the key.
Low Bias pulls the curve before the key. This
produces an exaggerated curve coming into the
key and a linear curve leaving the key .
Thedefaultvalueof25distributesthecurveevenly
to both sides of the key.
Tendons
When you use Physique (page 2–1076),after
you adjust envelope parameters for good mesh
deformation, you can use tendons (page 2–1147)
to control the amount of skin stretching across
multiple links. While envelopes prov ide smooth
skin deformations, tendons provide additional
stretching in much the same way that actual
human tendons might create pulling in the wrist
(several joints away) when the fingers are moved.
Tension, Continuit y, B ia s (B iped)
Tension, Continuity, and Bias (TCB) are
parameters that quantify the traditional animation
techniqueofeaseinandeaseout(alsoknownas
“slow in and slow out”). In freeform animation
(page 3–945) of a biped, you can use them to
change the timing of a limb’s movement from key
to key.
The TCB controls are in the TCB section of the Key
Info rollout (page 2–954).